Quixotic
by CuriosityVanquished
Summary: In the city of Konohagakure, where nothing happens and everyone is looking for a way out, a group of teens are throw together in a world of endless parties, drugs, and live fast, die young attitudes. And everyone has a secret, but there's nothing a few drinks doesn't change. Multiple Character Focused. Multiple/Frequently Changing Pairings.
1. Naruto

_Now you'll need some information about this world, because it is very unique. I am American. I grew up in the United States and have never really left the country. _Naruto _is a Japanese manga and this world is mostly based off this influence. Konoha does not exist in the real world, but this is where the fanfic is based so I created my own version of the real world, just don't think too hard about it. So Konoha is set in Japan, and I will try my hardest to make it seem so, but I only have myself and the Internet. And there will be some exceptions because I don't want to be completely true to life. (ex: Sasuke drives a car around. And typically, in Japan most people, especially students, take public transportation, but I make Sasuke drive. Why? 1. Because I felt like it and 2. because it was a funny scene.) The city they live in is similar to Okayama because it was Kichimoto's home town and he stated that Konohagakure was modeled after it. They live in the city of Konohagakure, Japan. _

**WARNING: This story contains strong language, drug reference, drug use, sexual acts, inappropriate and unsafe behavior involving drug use and habits. This is for entertainment purposes only and none of the following acts should be attempted. Be cool, stay in school. Hugs, not drugs. And all those other clichés. **

Quixotic

Section one: All that Glitters

Naruto:

Naruto woke up to grey lit sunlight in his eyes and a throbbing headache.

He rolled over expecting pillows and sheets but met dirty shag carpet instead. Naruto was lying on his floor, stomach down, fully dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a shirt that smelt like cigarettes and sweat.

He attempted to rub the sleep, hangover, and dirt from his head while looking around at his dingy apartment. Mismatch bottles cluttered every surface that wasn't covered with dirty clothing and empty cups of instant ramen. The sounds of morning traffic whooshed through the open window bringing in the smell of gasoline and fresh rain, as dust fluttered in a slat of sunlight.

Naruto stumbled towards his bed mumbling about booze and ramen. He found his alarm clock under a pair of underwear. It was six minutes past nine in the morning.

"Shit, school started," He rubbed the back of his neck and went to go find an uneaten cup of instant ramen.

Three minutes wouldn't kill anyone, would it?

After managing to find a few cups a ramen Naruto, still hungry, went to go find his school uniform. He found bits and pieces around. He found his black slacks in the kitchenette, his white button down on his bed, and his tie on the bathroom door. He shoved his uniform into his satchel and he left the apartment.

The sky was a neutral overcast but the breeze was warm, coming in from the south. The streets were hot and thick with people rushing through towards their destinations shoving past Naruto as he swayed through the crowd.

He only made it a few feet before he noticed someone was looking at him.

"Oi bastard! What the hell are doing here?" Naruto narrowed his eyes as if in anger but a smile tugged on his lips.

Sasuke stood on the sidewalk, his usually stoic face was marred with a tight scowl that held a cigarette between clenched teeth. Standing there like he was the fucking king of the world.

"Just get in the car, idiot," Sasuke jerked his head to the black vehicle he was leaning against and then slid into the driver's seat.

Naruto rushed to the car, defiantly not passing up a free ride, and hopped into the passage seat.

"New car?" Naruto teased even though the smell of new leather was fading and being replaced with the scent of sex and ash.

"Shut up dobe. I've been waiting twenty minutes for you." Sasuke snapped at Naruto, pulling out of the parking spot and straight into the busy Konoha traffic.

"You could have called me, teme." Naruto huffed at him looking for the switch to roll down the window to let, the now over powering, smell of smoke.

"I did call you. You forgot to charge your phone. Again." Sasuke grumbled halfway focused on their conversation, halfway focused on the traffic, or maybe just focused on chain smoking. Sasuke was a terrible conversationalist and an even worse driver.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well you see I lost my changer. Then I found my charger and lost my phone. Then I lost my charger again."

"Hn" was all that came from the Uchiha as he changed lanes and weaved through the traffic.

Sasuke eventually entered a traffic lane slightly more flowing than the rest and just when it seemed like they were reaching their destination at a good time, they hit a red light. Sasuke muttered something under his breath, which sounded like a string of obstinacies while lighting another cigarette and resting his elbow on the open window. Naruto shifted awkwardly in his seat peering out at Sasuke from the corner of his eye.

"Sasuke?" Naruto started uncomfortably, not wanted to press the issue he wanted to know. But he had two options now: a pissed of Sasuke if he asked the question or a pissed off Sasuke for him not asking the question. Guess there wasn't too much to lose.

"Hn?" Sasuke asked trying as hard as he could to make it look like he was completely focused on tailgating the car behind him.

"Did she call?"

Sasuke gave Naruto a hard cold look before he suddenly slammed on the breaks in order to not hit the car the stopped in front of him sending Naruto flying into the dashboard.

Naruto's head smacked on the windshield and Sasuke made a noise that could have been a laugh. But Sasuke never laughed.

"Ow, dammit teme!" Naruto whined rubbing his sore head peeking at Sasuke through one eye.

Sasuke ignored his whining friend looking at the now less compact road and pulled into a parking lot. There was a long weighted pause even after Sasuke turned off the car.

"No, she didn't."

Naruto breathed a heavy sigh and took one of Sasuke's cigarettes and lit it for himself, inhaling in the chemical smoke.

Such a nasty habit, but that's why he started, right?

Naruto looked up at his school, ominously and huge per usual. The white walls shined in the morning sun and the blinds swayed in every open window. He could hear the murmur of voices filtered through the thick cement walls. Naruto found himself smiling again, optimism always crept up on him.

"Well maybe she's back! Maybe she forgot to call! And I want to see her if she is back!" Naruto's smile grew into a grin as he reached for the passage side door but Sasuke reached out and held the doorframe in. He held out a bottle for Naruto and Naruto frowned.

"She'll call, dobe. And even if she didn't, _I _don't want to see her."

Naruto shrugged and opened the bottle Sasuke offered him and took a swig.

"Want any?" Naruto asked hoarsely choking down the liquor.

Sasuke frowned at the bottle and continued to smoke up the car.

"Pssh, hypocrite" Naruto slurred, as he continued to down the liquor, "Where'd you get this anyways?"

"It was probably left over from two weeks ago." Sasuke guessed as he waved a trail of smoke out of his face.

"Ha! That night was great! I still don't know how Lee broke your coffee table!"

Sasuke frowned. Obviously it wasn't as funny to him.

"We need a night like that again." Naruto breathed in the chemical smoke from his own cigarette.

Sasuke's frown darkened.

"No seriously!" Naruto threw his hands in the air as the alcohol pumped through him. "An all out something, something huge! Not like those lame clubs or just sitting a Kiba's smoking a bowl."

"No, I don't want to be cleaning up your mess again." Sasuke rolled up the window and Naruto watched smoke dance in front of the windshield looking for an escape.

"Come on, what else are you going to do to piss your parents off?" Naruto gave Sasuke one of his grins, the kind of grin that's half judgment and half challenge.

Sasuke gave him back a half smirk, "Fine."

Naruto's grin grew and pulled against his cheekbones. He swigged down more of the alcohol and felt it burn and tremor down his throat.

"Yes" Naruto breathed out roughly. Soon he would feel alive again. But for now the alcohol settling in his stomach would suffice.

XXX

After sloppily throwing on his uniform, which by the time Naruto pulled it on in the passenger seat of Sasuke's car it was a wrinkled mess, he hung his tie inelegantly around his neck and marched off in a buzzed daze to school.

Inside the clean white building Naruto met clean white walls and floors, resembling more a hospital than a high school in his opinion. Not that anyone was asking him anyway.

But the halls were quiet without the hoards of students crowding the halls with mindless chatter about television shows and celebrity couples that no one actually cared about. There was only him and the ever silent Sasuke with the slightly filtered noise of small chatter. It was almost peaceful.

"Uchiha! Uzumaki! I'm going to kill you little bastards!"

Well almost peaceful.

"Ah! Baa-chan! Looking lovely as ever this morning!" Naruto smiled giving his best greeting to the busty blonde woman before him.

"Cut the crap you little brat!" Tsunade growled flicking Naruto hard in the ear, "You two are late! Again! This is the seventh time this month! And don't doubt I won't expel you both for this!" Tsunade had the vein the size of a mountain in her forehead and looked about ready to rip both their heads off. Naruto took a small step back and lifted his hands in defense.

"Baa-chan, there's no need to be so drastic, I mean teme's one of your top students and I…well…please don't expel me."

Tsunade glare down at him, but before she could get another word in she looked around. Naruto glanced behind him and saw Sasuke's already retreating form, behind him.

"Uchiha, where do in fuck's sake do you think you're going?" Tsunade barked out.

Sasuke paused for a half a second before turning around, "To class, that's where you want us to be, right?"

Tsunade turned red with anger and Naruto quickly dug through his satchel before Tsunade blew her lid off.

He threw the liquor bottle in her hands and gave her a hopeful grin. "Here Baa-chan, think it over a mid morning drink."

Tsunade surveyed the liquor in her hand evenly then gave Naruto sharp look.

"Get to class Usumaki."

Naruto didn't give her a second glace and scurried after Sasuke.

"If you two mess up one more time I swear to God!" Tsunade shouted after then as they turned a corner down the hall.

But Naruto knew Tsunade was already making her way back to her office, downing the whole bottle.

Naruto followed Sasuke into the already ongoing class as quietly as possible, but he guessed he was a lot drunker then he thought he was because he ended up ramming his knees into the doorframe. It's really surprising that the whole class didn't get whiplash from turning their heads so quickly.

Asuma just gave them a hard look, probably more for interrupting his class with Naruto's bumbling drunkenness than coming to class habitually drunk and late. They both took their seats and Asuma was already continuing talking about quantum theory or something like that. Hell, this class could have been history for all Naruto knew.

Naruto managed to entertain himself for most of the period by doodling pictures of ramen and throwing rolled up scraps of paper at the back of Sasuke's head, much to the Uchiha's displeasure. But all Sasuke did was give Naruto 'I'm-going-to rip-your-intestines-out-later' look and try his best not to make eye contact with any of the girls staring at him. So Naruto was quite satisfied at the end of the period even though his buzz was gone and he was pretty sure Sasuke was going to hurt him, a lot.

Naurto went out of the class room during the passing period to get something to eat when he felt a presence behind him, but he must have counted his lucky stars because it was just Kiba, while Sasuke was occupied with trying to, as calmly as possible, shove girls out of his way. Naruto snickered as he got his food from the vending machine.

"Sup Uzumaki! Were you two lovebirds were late, again?" Kiba teased.

"Yeah, same reason as always, Sasuke's a filthy bastard and I cannot ignore the sweet call of vodka." Naruto explained, already walking away from Kiba and back to his classroom.

"When do you ever not come drunk to school?" Another, rather lazy, voice chimed in.

Naruto glance over towards the voice, "Eh Shikamaru, you woke up?"

Shikamaru yawned, "Asuma made me before he left." He stretched his neck and opened an eye at Naruto and Kiba, "So what class do we have next?"

"English," Sasuke answered, after finally escaping a hoard of girls.

"Meh, I have Chemistry. Fucken Mitarashi-sensei, crazy bitch." Kiba grunted shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Didn't she flash your class once? That's pretty fuckin awesome."

Kiba gave Naruto a face, "It's not as awesome as you think." He waved at the group and trudged off to his classroom.

"Fucken Dog boy, so breast sensitive," Naruto griped as he ate his energy bar.

"No, you're just sex crazed idiot," Sasuke countered as they approached their classroom.

"Not my fault you're practically allergic to breasts, teme."

Naruto glanced at the approaching figure of a slender blonde girl and immediately darted his eyes the other direction, but he was too slow. Sasuke caught his small glance and gave him a bitter scowl, making Naruto stomach flop.

The blonde glided towards them. She crossed her skinny arms and gave them both a once over.

"Naruto," She nodded towards him.

"Ino," He murmured giving her a half heart wave before leaning against a wall.

"Sasuke," Ino addressed him with a soft and low tone that made Naruto swallow hard.

"Ino," Sasuke replied coolly, caught in her glance for a half a second before looking away bored.

Ino just gave a small smile to herself and fluttered down the hall and into her own classroom.

"Why do you treat her like that?" Naruto half whispered to Sasuke as they took their seats in class.

Sasuke gave him a glare and brought his attention to Yūhi-sensei starting class.

"Sasuke…" Naruto looked up at him but Sasuke was blatantly ignoring him. Naruto sighed and looked towards the lesson, only once and awhile glancing at the Uchiha and thinking about the skinny Yamanaka girl.

XXX

Naruto stared at spinach in his chopsticks with every ounce of judgment he had.

"It's more brown than green really, which is weird because it's all freeze dried."

Sasuke sighed, setting down his own chopsticks, "Just eat it, dobe."

"It's a school lunch, it would just be wrong if the food didn't look like it came off from the bottom of a shoe." Kiba added while chewing on a piece of meat.

Naruto stared at the cooked vegetable again. "Choji?" He asked offering it to the boy sitting across from him.

"Dude, just because I'm fat doesn't mean I'll eat anything." Choji huffed and shoved a few barbeque chips in his mouth.

Naruto shrugged and tossed his spinach onto the school lawn and fell back on the ground, resting in the grass.

"So I heard a rumor that Zaku slept with Kin, true?" Kiba looked around the group.

Shikamaru sat up from lying in the grass, "Please, who hasn't slept with Kin?"

Naruto snorted impolitely and Kiba flat out started cracking up.

"Hmmm, Slut." Ino muttered as she rolled an apple between her palms, "Anyone got any smokes?" She looked pointedly towards Sasuke who was already puffing away on a cigarette.

Sasuke looked the other direction and ignored the question. Naruto could almost laugh; Sasuke was such a selfish bastard.

Shikamaru got out a pack, "Are you going to eat that?" He gestured towards the apple in Ino's hands.

"Do you want it?" Ino smiled at him innocently, but Shikamaru just gave her an incisive look.

And she just laughed at him, "Yeah, yeah of course I will."

She took a bite into the apple trying her hardest to prove her point, "Delicious."

Shikamaru just sighed, handed her a cigarette, and mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'troublesome'.

"Light," Ino ordered and Shikamaru held out a lighter.

Ino lit her cigarette, and Naruto could help but notice the tiny flame dancing in her eyes.

"Hey isn't that bad for your dancing or some shit like that?" Kiba asked looking towards Ino who was already burning through her cigarette.

"Shut the fuck up, flea bag" She countered with venom in her voice.

"I don't know Ino," Choji said gently, "It can't help and your mom wouldn't like-"

"Shut up! Who are you to tell me about my mom!" Ino shouted standing up.

"Ino" Shikamaru warned.

"No, fuck off." She snarled as she walked away from the group and unceremoniously dumped her bitten apple into the trash with a loud 'thud'.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru exhaled noisily and gracelessly got up from the lawn and went after her.

"I always say the wrong thing don't I," Choji sighed, looking down at his mostly finished lunch.

"Yeah, pretty much buddy." Kiba laughed unsympathetically, "But it's not your fault she's a totally bitch, eh?"

Choji clenched his jaw and gave Kiba a cutting glare and then stalked off.

Kiba raised his eyebrows, "What'd I say?"

Naruto stared at him for a half a second before bursting out laughing, 'Fuckin hell Kiba, you're such a dildo!"

"Hey man I speak the truth, it's what I do." Kiba said lifting his hands up and shrugging.

Naruto laughed again, "I thought you dealt drugs."

Kiba smirked, "That too."

Naruto shook his head still chuckling. He looked over and saw Sasuke getting up.

"Where you going, teme?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "If I spend one more minute with you two idiots I'm going to have an aneurism."

Naruto stood up, "Are you going to go after her?"

"Why would I?" Sasuke sneered.

"She's your girlfriend," Naruto looked away from the angry Uchiha.

Sasuke smirked, "Who says?" And then he sauntered away.

Naruto didn't know what to say. He could have called Sasuke a jackass or something. Or he could have taken that as an invitation to go shag Ino. Or he could have just followed after Sasuke, per usual. But none of those things really made any sense.

XXX

A few hours later Naruto found himself in Sasuke's house, well more a small mansion than a house, rolling a joint in the living room and being subjected to Sasuke and Ino make out, fucking awesome.

"Can you guys, well like leave?" Naruto asked rolling a joint.

They continued to ignore him.

"I'm gonna to throw up!" He half shouted at them.

Ino slid into Sasuke's lap and started unbuttoning his top.

"No, seriously I really am!" Naruto growled angrily as he looked for his lighter in his satchel.

Sasuke took off Ino's top. And he still couldn't find his fucking lighter.

Sasuke went for the hook of her bra.

"Fuck this," Naruto muttered and snatched Sasuke's lighter and cell phone on the coffee table and walked out of the house as quickly as he could, slamming the door shut.

Naruto walked outside and on to the sidewalk lighting his joint, the once overcast sky was clear and the sun was free to beat down on his back. He breathed out the smoke and gave Sasuke's house one last look.

Naruto made his way to a bus stop to make it further into the city. When the bus pulled up he dug through his pockets for loose change and eventually was able to count out the fare down to every cent, to the much unhappiness of the bus driver and his passengers.

The cars flew by in the bus's dingy window and all the city's metal and cement buildings shone in the afternoon sunlight.

Naruto eventually got off at a stop along with a middle age woman who rushed past him and into the crowd of people doing afternoon shopping or making their way home. Naruto stood there smoking his joint, as the bus drove away.

Naruto's stomach grumbled and he smiled to himself.

"Ramen Ichiraku here I come!"

Naruto sauntered down the street passing through the small crowds of people as swiftly as he could. He reached a small little ramen stand that he could practically call home, but before he entered the establishment he quickly butted out the joint and shoved it into his pocket.

"Ah Naruto! Good to see you this evening!" Ayame greeted Naruto from the counter, "Iruka beat you here though."She gestured to the man sitting at a stool at the end of the bar.

Iruka looked over and smiled, "Naruto you're timing is impeccable! I just ordered!"

Naruto smiled from ear to ear, "Good to see you Iruka! Teuchi make that a second order of whatever Iruka is having!" Naruto, still grinning, sat down next to Iruka at the end of the bar.

"I'm sure that will be what Iruka is having doubled, right?" Teuchi shouted from the kitchen.

"You know me too well!" Naruto laughed.

Ayame served Naruto and Iruka up a large and medium bowl of tonkatsu ramen steaming hot and delicious, for Naruto nothing really got better than this.

"Itadaki-masu!" Naruto smiled at his bowl of ramen and separated his chopsticks a fast a he could and immediately started slurping down his ramen.

"Itasaki-masu," Iruka repeated, but Naruto didn't even look up from all his ramen glory.

After six more bowls of ramen Naruto was finally satisfied.

Ayame laughed as she cleaned up Naruto's stack of bowls, "You must have a hallow leg or something, because I have no idea where all that ramen goes!"

"Well I go through ramen like Tsunade baa-chan goes through sake bottles!" Naruto joked rubbing his now full, yet somehow relatively flat, stomach.

Iruka handed Ayame some bills to pay for his bowl.

Naruto gave his best grin to Ayame, "So you and Teuchi will put that on my tab!"

"Don't worry Naruto, I already got you covered," Iruka said nodding towards Ayame who was walking to the back.

"Thanks!" Naruto smiled at him, "Nothing like a free meal!"

Iruka smile faltered a bit, "Naruto, how _are_ you?"

Naruto pretended to not know what he was implying, "Great! Full and satisfied and not a bit of gas, well not yet anyway!"

Iruka sighed, "Naruto, how are you, really? Financially wise."

Naruto grimaced for a half a second, "Fine, not sleeping on gold bricks or anything, but…"

"Is Jiraiya home yet? How long has he been gone?" Iruka looked away towards the city.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked playing dumb again.

Iruka looked back at him, "You don't have to lie to me."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "He hasn't been gone enough for me to even miss him at all, and he'll probably be back sooner than I'd like."

Iruka gave him a serious look, "And he gave you enough money."

Naruto chuckled, "You know how I burn through cash, Iruka."

Iruka nodded finally content, "Ok, but he's only gone for a few days every once and awhile, right?"

"Right!" Naruto smiled lying right through his teeth. To tell the truth, Jiraiya had been gone for months in the United States 'promoting' his business, which Naruto thought was a bullshit was of saying that he was trying to sleep with underwear models and getting piss drunk.

"Well I should be going," Naruto started getting up, "you know, homework and sleeping and all that."

"Right." Iruka said with sarcasm dripping in his voice, "Do you need a ride?"

"Na, apartment's only a few blocks away and besides walking is heath!" Naruto said walking backwards towards downtown.

"Wait Naruto!" Ikura called, catching up to him. "Take this," Ikura said placing a few bills in his hands.

Naruto frowned, "Iruka, I…I can't take this."

"I'm not asking for your opinion, just take it. And don't try giving it back." Iruka gave him that sincere look that always made Naruto feel better. Iruka always saw straight through him, and it should have made him feel loved, but all Naruto felt was the sinking feeling of guilt churning in his full stomach of ramen.

Naruto looked away from Iruka's gaze, "Thanks…I'm gonna go." He stepped back, leaving a gap between him and Iruka. There always was a gap, between everyone Naruto ever known. And he had no idea how to close it.

"Okay, see you Naruto." Iruka waved as he opened his car door. Naruto turned around and shoved the money his pocket and took out Sasuke's cell phone and his joint.

He punched in Sasuke's home phone number as he relit the joint. The line kept ringing and eventually went to message. "Teme you asshole pick up the phone. I know you're there, I'm going to the clubs, you should get you're dick out of Ino and come with." Naruto hung up.

He groaned as he continued to puff on the joint and punched in another number. It went straight to message. "Kiba, it's Naruto, if you get this you should come to the clubs with me, I can even help you deal there if you want. I took the bastard's phone so ring that."

Naruto looked through Sasuke's contacts. Choji, Itachi, Ino, Kakashi, Kiba, Lee, Neji, Okaasan, Otousan, _Sakura. _

"Fuck it I'm going alone tonight!" Naruto shouted to no one as he butted out his joint and headed to a club.

When he was in the club Naruto was, well, completely disappointed, to say the least.

The club's lights were dimmed so low it was hard to see anything, but it wasn't quite dark enough to not realize what a complete shithole it was. Naruto occasionally went there, not for the atmosphere, but for the music. But for some reason the club was playing some sort of retro, techno, screeching music that made Naruto feel like he was having an acid trip in a bad 70's movie. Everyone in the club was a pack of bodies, trying as hard as they could to dance to the music, that really had no rhythm whatsoever, but most of them were too doped up to care. Everyone looked gritty and half dressed, and Naruto could smell the alcohol and sweat from the front door.

Naruto made his way to the crowd of people dancing and looked around for signs of a dealer. He eventually spotted a guy who looked reputable enough since he seemed to be selling to everyone and not just young girls, and was allowing people to look at his goods before buying. Naruto made his way to him through the thick of the crowd.

'Hey!" Naruto yelled over the thrum of music.

"Looking to purchase something?" The dealer asked, almost as if he was teasing Naruto. Naruto then got the chance to look him over. The dealer was dressed in a black, surprising skimpy outfit, and had sheet white skin that lit up in colors under the strobe lights.

"Don't happen to have any booze, do you?" Naruto shouted back.

The dealer gave him a look that could have been sarcastic if it wasn't so blank, "What do I look like? A walking mini-bar?"

Naruto almost felt embarrassed, but he didn't have the luxury of raiding his parent's liquor cabinets. "Sorry I just-"

The dealer chuckled a little, "And just alcohol? That's pretty dickless."

Naruto's head snapped straight towards the asshole dealer, "What?!"

"I'm saying you're dickless, dickless. Here." The dealer said handing Naruto a small plastic bag.

Naruto inspected the two pills inside, "What is it?"

The dealer gave Naruto the fakest smile he had ever seen, "Magic."

Naruto grinned, "How much do I owe you?"

"Three thousand yen."

Naruto dug through his bag pulling out crumpled bills, "I only have two."

The dealer made another creepy smile, "That's fine. I was overcharging you anyway."

The dealer snatched up Naruto's cash and handed him the pills.

"Thanks," Naruto muttered sarcastically, but the dealer couldn't hear him over the music.

Naruto took out one of the pills and placed it in his mouth. Maybe this club wouldn't be as lame as he thought.

Naruto waited a bit to get high by swaying to the god awful music and looking around the crowd dancing. Naruto could feel the music reverberate in his chest and it shook his whole body.

He got up and danced and could only hear the music wiz by his ears, he could feel hands and see faces go by as the lights danced in fast shapes.

And then Naruto exploded.

He felt euphoric, he felt alive. Naruto tried to reach out towards groups of people but they would rush past him. He eventually got his hands on a bottle of liquor somehow, and ended up downing it. Colors would rush by and the ceiling would sparkle. He would jump and try to reach it but would get sucked into the hot thrum of the crowd. And he would sway, he thought he was underwater, being pushed by the current, and then everything sped up so fast it made his head hurt.

And then he saw her.

"Sakura?" He asked, but his voice was mute to him.

She looked over at him and he rushed over.

"Hey," she yelled over all the noise.

He smiled so hard it probably hurt, and then he kissed her. And she kissed him back. And it was then when he realized that this girl had brown hair and dark green eyes and she wasn't Sakura. But he continued to kiss her because, frankly, he didn't give a damn.

The rest from there was all hands and lips and more hands. The music faded slightly and he could feel small hands on his naked back. He could feel cold tile on his hands and hot breath on his neck. He started to breathe harder and harder. He felt her squirm and writhe under him. Then the girl cried out in pleasure and he shakily became aware of what was going on.

He was fucking a girl on a bathroom floor.

"Uh," he mumbled stopping.

"What's wrong?" She looked up at him from the floor.

"What time is it?" Naruto asked awkwardly.

She stiffened, "Really?" Her voice was flat and angry.

Naruto got up, "Yeah, about this…I got to go…" He rubbed the back of his sheepishly.

"What?" She gave him a venomous glare from the bathroom floor.

Naruto zipped up his pants and grabbed his shirt and jacket and started out the door.

"Fuck you!" He heard the girl screeched at him.

He turned around slightly and grinning, "You kind of already did." And then he ran off laughing to himself.

He stumbled home to his apartment and found it in the exact same way he found it. He went over to his bed, but tripped over something. He looked down and found his phone charger chord wrapped around his legs with his cell phone plugged into it.

If he wasn't so tired he would have cracked up then and there.

"There you are buddy."

He untangled himself from the chord and threw himself on his bed, and the second his head hit the mattress, he was asleep.

Naruto eventually dreamt of being chased by an angry, old toad that was yelling at him.

"Come on kid," the toad growled.

"Hello? You there?" The toad asked, confusing Naruto.

"Wakey Wakey!" The toad sang and Naruto was then completely puzzled.

And then Naruto was flipped over and fell on his apartment floor face first.

He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his face and he met not an angry, old toad, but something very, very close to that.

"Eh, Ero-sennin, you're back?"

Jiraiya glared at Naruto, "Yeah I'm back, kid, and don't call me that."

"Why? You_ are_ a perverted hermit." Naruto pointed out as he stood up and dusted off his dirty jeans.

"It's unbecoming of a businessman such as myself." Jiraiya huffed turned his nose up at Naruto.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I don't think owning a porn business is really 'becoming'…"

"Hey respect your elders!" Jiraiya snapped, breaking his pose.

Naruto stretched, "Did you just get back?"

"I touched down at five this morning," Jiraiya answered, clearing the bottles and ramen cups from the kitchen table.

"Five!" Naruto barked in disbelief, "What time is it now?!"

Jiraiya squinted, "Around six, why?"

Naruto groaned loudly. Now he knew why he felt like he was hit by a bus.

"Get cleaned up kid, you smell like a dog shit. Then I'll take you to breakfast."

Naruto walked over towards the bathroom and looked back at Jiraiya sitting in the kitchen, "Good to have you back, Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya smiled, "Good to be back, kid."

XXX

**So this is this first chapter, please note this is just for fun and practice so don't take it seriously. I will try to get out each chapter ever month…..ish… Reviews always help me write faster! :) But serious, reviews, positive or even negative, are appreciated. All will help me improve. Also some pairings are a set thing, but many are up for debate! **

**Next chapter will be: Ino. **


	2. Ino

Quixotic

Section one: All that Glitters

Ino:

Ino knew that she was perfect.

He body almost moved on its own accord, swaying to music that was only in her head. Her feet danced above the floor and floated down without a sound. Her arms graced above her head as she danced on her well disciplined toes. She arched her back and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, but snapped right up, leaping into the air, and just for a second she was flying. She slid her foot along the floor and she could hear the fabric shift on the wooden floor. And she was flying again and spinning and each time she spotted she could see the envious faces of the other dancers and it propelled her forward. She was in the air, flying, twirling, twisting, she was everywhere. And she slowed he self down and made one last giant leap and then the world stopped moving.

And she was in her ballet studio under the scrutiny of her hard-ass ballet instructor.

"Kin, this isn't some anarchist, hippy dance, on the fourth beat you're supposed to do a ninety degree cabriole, not whatever the fuck you were doing. Everyone or the love of fucking god, follow Ino if you are really too stupid to count music. Ino excellent as always," Ibiki nodded towards Ino, and the compliment made Ino smile, "but on your fouettes you weren't spotting enough. Everyone, sit down."

Ino's smile fell into a scowl, but she didn't let Ibiki see it as she sat down with the rest of the company.

"Good work for today everyone. Now the fall competition is only a few weeks away. I posted on the bulletin those who will participate as a group, who will receive solos, and who will be our principle dancer."

All the dancers shifted and whispered a bit amongst themselves, but Ibiki simply gave them a hard look and they fell silent. Ino herself was even surprised how, ex-military general, Morino ibiki ended up teaching ballet, but she had to admit that his results didn't lie. His dance company has placed first in at least in one, if not all, categories in every competition they have ever competed in.

"Dismissed." Ibiki waved at the dancers and they all practically ran out of the studio.

"Guess you need to work on those fouttes, Ino. Don't want to embarrass us at the competition." Karin smirked at Ino as they walked into the hall. A few girls squealed and screamed as they looked at the bulletin.

"At least _I _don't look fat in my leotard." Ino shrugged as she had the dancers clear the way for her. A few girls giggled at Ino's comment, while Karin flushed with anger.

Ino moved her way to the bulletin and her eyes moved quickly down the list of names. She was in two of the three group dances and had the solo in both of them, but that was no surprise. A small smile tugged on her lips for having more solo's than Karin for the umpteenth time. But her smile turned into a full grin when she read the bottom of the list.

_Principle Dancer…..Yamanaka Ino _

She was screaming so loudly inside her head that she was unable to hear the other dancers congratulating her and kissing her ass. She walked down the hall and met Ibiki there.

"I expect perfection out of you Yamanaka, I assume you will not let me down," He raised an eyebrow at her.

Ino bowed, "Of course Morino-sensei, I will not disappoint you."

He grimaced, "I doubt you will, but of course, as a principle dancer, you will have an understudy."

"And who's that?" Ino asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

Ibiki glanced over to a girl, "Karin."

Ino's whole body stiffened. Getting the role as a principle dancer at the high school level meant _everything_. If you succeeded as a principle, you were accepted in Ibiki's professional company. And if you were a principle there, you could get any ballet role you could possibly want. And if you were a principle in a nation competition, well, let's just say you had the world in your hands.

Karin recognized this fact just as well as Ino. And Ino knew that Karin would to anything in her power to secure that role for herself.

Ino glanced over to Karin, who was celebrating as if she got the lead herself.

Karin smirked toward Ino, "Now you better make sure you're fouttes are perfect, I know mine are."

Ino resisted the urge to roll her eyes, in her opinion Karin's fouttes were far from perfect; actually they were downright disgusting.

"Karin, tossing insults isn't going to get you the lead." Ino chided.

"No, me being better than you is going to get me the lead." Karin spat back.

Ino heaved a dramatic sigh, "Frankly the only thing your better at than me is being stupid."

Karin scowled, "At least I'm better at fucking your boyfriend." The room went silent and every girl in the room was watching their conversation.

This time Ino did roll her eyes, "Ha ha, you're hilarious."

Karin put her hands on her hips, "Oh really? Remember that time he said that he was having dinner with his uncle a few weeks ago?"

Ino did, she looked at Karin for any trace that she was just making it up.

Karin smirked, "He lied."

What happened next well, Ino didn't really feel sorry about.

"You bitch!" Ino shrieked and drew her hand into a fist.

Karin didn't see Ino's right hook coming until it made contact with her face.

Karin tumbled to the floor and all the girls crowded her form.

Ino nursed her hurt hand and noticed Ibiki storming over to the hoard of girls.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" He shouted, surveying the scene.

Ino looked around at the other girls' faces, and luckily all of them thought it would be best to look the other way, rather than rat her out.

But Karin's big mouth, as always, ruined everything, "Ino punched me, in the face, for like, totally no reason!" She got up holding her face.

Ibiki glanced at Ino, who couldn't think of any way of defending herself. And personally she didn't like lying to Ibiki.

Ibiki pinched the bridge of his nose, "Everyone, get out." And everyone scattered out of the building.

Ino stood there looking at Ibiki for his reaction.

'Sensei-" She started.

He smiled a bit. "I'm pretty sure you had a damn good reason."

Ino gave him a half hearted smile and then opened the door, out to the dull grey world.

XXX

The smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with wild flowers wafted through the bright yellow kitchen of Ino's family home. Her father sat at the kitchen table reading the paper while drinking out of his old baby blue mug.

Ino padded onto the cold tiles while drying her hair off with a towel, "Morning papa."

She smiled as she kissed her father's temple. His lips pulled into a small smile and Ino wrapped her hair up with her towel as she went over to the counter to prepare breakfast.

"And how is my Ino-chan this morning? Did class go well?"

Ino pulled out a scale and some tupperware filled with nuts and dried fruits. She turned toward him grinning, "You're looking at Ibiki's newest principle dancer."

Inoichi grinned back and got up to kiss his daughter's forehead, "I knew you would be. You'll have to tell your mother or she'll feel left out." He gave her a teasing smile before sitting back down.

As if summoned Ino's mother glided into the kitchen pinning her golden blond hair into bun.

"Good Morning," she started unfocused. Ino rocked on her heals, excited to tell the news to her mother.

"How was class Ino-chan?" Her mother inquired, struggling to tie her apron.

Ino rushed to help her and smiled as she fastened the apron strings, "Guess who is the newest principle dancer."

He mother turned to face her daughter with a tight smile.

"Finally," She kissed Ino's hair line and then walked over to continue making breakfast.

"We'll have to schedule more rehearsal time, and you really have to focus Ino, do you hear me? I'll have to talk to Ibiki about maybe some private lessons. Oh, Inoichi you have to remind me to call Kabato-san."

Ino froze as she measured her food, "Why do you need to call Kabato-san?"

Ino's mother huffed, as she opened the rice cooker, "You'll be undergoing a lot more stress and work, Ino-chan. We need to make sure your health-"

"My health is fine," Ino spoke quietly as she packed a tupperware away.

He mother surveyed Ino's meal, "You need more dried fruit." She reached over and scoped more into the scale. Ino's abdomen clenched as she watched the level drop more.

"There," her mother nodded as she put away the container of dried fruit. Ino knew this was her mother's indirect way of ending the conversation, and controlling her again.

She looked over to her dad who just gave her a taut smile and Ino threw her food into a bowl and stormed out onto the balcony.

The morning sun was rising in the sky, but blocked out by thick clouds. Her family's garden seemed dull without the glow of direct sunlight. She could smell the sage and carnations from the small terrace. A cool wind brushed past her, which made her shiver due to her damp hair. She could hear her mother and father's hushed arguments about her over their morning breakfast, but she didn't dwell on it, because she refused to 'get better' if her mother continued to boss her around like some untrained dog. She chewed on a couple of dried pieces apricot and cantaloupe, and flicked the slices of banana into the garden below. Her parents eventually went quiet and she could now smell the rice and miso.

She looked at the contents of bowl and frowned, then casually dumped it off the balcony and walked inside. She placed her dish in the sink and went into her bedroom to dress for school.

She stripped out of her pajamas and stared at herself in her bedroom mirror. She counted her ribs and grimaced. She shook her head as she put on a bra. The heavy padding upset her and she wondered if it was like lying, if her breasts, or therefore lack of, disappointed Sasuke. She sneered at the thought of that name, he was a cheating bastard, but then again, when wasn't Karin a lying bitch?

She ignored the distressing question as she buttoned her clean white shirt and zipped up her pleated skirt, which hung too low on her hips. She adjusted her tie and considered wearing her cardigan rather than her blazer, but opted to wear the blazer due the colder weather. She tied her pale blonde hair up into a ponytail at the top of her head and smiled at her reflection. Her phone went off on her nightstand.

It was from Shikamaru. _Downstairs_

Ino snorted, he was even a lazy ass when it came to texting. She quickly coated her blonde eyelashes with black mascara and threw her cell phone into her book bag as she shrugged it on her shoulder.

She walked towards the door landing and shout towards the kitchen, "I'm going!"

Both her parents popped their heads out of the kitchen. Inoichi narrowed his eyes, "Not with that Uchiha boy, right?"

Ino huffed, "No, it's just Shikamaru, and probably Choji."

Ino's parents came out from hiding behind the wall. He mother laughed, "Oh they're such sweet boys. And both have grown so handsome. Don't be rude Ino, invite them up."

Ino gave out an angry sigh, "I really have to go. They're waiting."

Inoichi smiled deviously, "You're not seeing one of them are you?"

Ino made a face, "NO, no papa. I'm dating Uchiha Sasuke, okay!" Ino's stomach clenched at her words. But she had to have hope that Karin was just a lying skank, and that's not really hard to believe.

"But Ino-chan, he's just….well he's kind of…" he mother muddled awkwardly.

Her father frowned, "What your mother is trying to say is your boyfriend is an asshole."

Ino gapped at her parents.

"He really is, sweetie." He mother added, trying to sound as dear and kind as possible.

Ino rubbed her temples and then looked up to her parents smiling. "At least I'm not pregnant, I mean I haven't had my period in awhile, but I wouldn't worry about it!" She smiled teasingly at her parents. Her mom looked like she just peed her pants, while her father looked ready to kill something. Probably more over the fact that Ino just admitted she was sexually active.

She flashed her parents a cheeky grin and bolted down the stairs before her parents wanted to talk about the magic of love or something equally as embarrassing. She walked into her families flower shop, which was still closed, and saw Shikamaru and Choji waiting by the front window.

"Hey, ready to go?" She asked and they both nodded, and together they all walked towards the train station.

"Did you get that ballet role thing that you wanted?" Choji asked looking towards Ino.

Ino smiled at the fact he remembered she was going for the role, "Well the role does go to the most talented and wonderful dancer..."

"So I'm assuming you got it?" Shikamaru drawled.

Ino gave him a bright smile, "You bet your smartass I did!"

They both congratulated her, Choji more enthusiastically, and Ino felt a little better.

On their way they didn't talk very much, all too tired to have invigorating conversation. They idly chatted about Shikamaru's mother chasing him with a frying pan that morning and how both Ino and Choji's parents' businesses were going. The train halted in the station and they piled in with the rest of the crowd. Ino didn't particularly like taking the train, but knew that if she rode with Sasuke she would probably miss her first two classes. But the collative of bodies packed into a small area was often too much to handle sometimes. She almost felt incredibly alone, even completely surrounded by people. As she hung on to a railing and stared at the passing landscape she felt anonymous, and like she was missing something that was right in front of her. Like something incredibly obvious in her life was flying right past her. She wouldn't have noticed their stop if Choji didn't nudge her.

They walked towards the school and Ino didn't seem to have the energy to keep up with the banter and bickering like usually does.

They reached the school grounds and Ino turned towards the two boys, "I'm going to class and that means you two are as well. I don't want to hear that you guys skipped class for like the millionth time. So that means ignoring Uzumaki and Inuzuka's idiotic tendencies."

They both mumbled words of agreement that didn't sound at all convincing and walked, well Shikamaru slumped, off in the opposite direction of their next class.

Ino groaned and knew whatever she said really went straight over their heads.

XXX

"Exercise and be well my students! Run and be joyful! IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUTH!"

Ino stared at her overly exuberant Physical Ed. teacher standing in front of his not so excited class, who gaped at him with blank fish faces.

Gai proceeded to jump around some more, and the most positive response from the class was a cough.

Gai slumped down dramatically muttering something about today's youth.

"You think he'd get tired of this routine, I mean he does it every class," Kiba muttered bleakly.

Ino shrugged. "Well I guess-Wait! Gai-sensei…are you crying?" She questioned raising her eyebrows, bewildered.

Gai was indeed crying, well more like sobbing, and looked up at his student, "Well you see Ino no one seems to be inspired in the flames of youth like they used to be!"

Gai dramatically posed with the back of his hand on his forehead, "Oh! How I long for the days when the fires of youth burned through my precious students like the used to!"

Ino's eyebrow twitched at all the drama. She heard Kiba give a defeated sigh, "Alright fine, I'll race you sensei. If I win we play tennis, if you win-"

"One hundred laps!" Gai's face instantly lit up and gave his classic "nice-guy" pose.

Ino didn't quite understand why Gai chose to begin every single P.E. class with a strange competition to decide on their class activity. From a game of rock-paper-scissors to a weight lifting contest, he had one every day, with the same exact consequence- one hundred laps. Gai had once mentioned something about an eternal rival, but besides that Ino had no idea why he chose to have these strange competitions.

Gai then proceeded to embrace Kiba, "Oh how I am so glad I have clung to hope! Anyone else willing to join Kiba on this youthful endeavor?!"

A few other students begrudgingly raised their hands. Gai looked ecstatic. Kiba looked like he was going to be sick.

Kiba and a couple other students ended up beating Gai, with Shino claiming first place. Gai mumbled something about not being as youthful as he used to be, and went on the blubber how proud he was of those that beat him. Ino felt uncomfortable for Shino who was being tightly hugged by the Mighty Gai, but at least Gai wasn't a sore loser.

"Now my students! On to tennis as Kiba requested! Please partner up!"

Ino turned towards the usual group of girls that she typically grouped together with. But she glanced over to another girl. Hyuga Hinata was a girl in her class that was sweet and kind to everyone, but painfully shy. She looked a little lost, looking towards both Kiba and Shino, who she usually did group work with. Ino smiled slightly, she halfway wondered why she didn't hang out with the pale eyed girl, since Hinata seemed to be on good terms with Kiba and her family had a strong professional relationship with Sasuke's family. Not to mention Hinata's painfully blaring crush she had on Naruto, well blaring to everyone except the Uzumaki boy himself.

Ino decided to bridge the gap between the could be friendship of Hinata and herself.

"Hey," Ino waved over catching the Hyuga's attention, "Wanna be partners?"

Hinata looked surprised, but then again Ino had never really moved to acknowledge her outside of a few friendly hellos.

"Sure," Hinata muttered shyly looking down. A few students grabbed the tennis gear from a shed, and the classes headed out to the tennis courts.

Ino attempted to have a conversation with Hinata, but with a mix of Hinata talking so quietly, and her stutter, Ino could only make out a few sparse words. So Ino decided the she would do all the talking.

"So you like Naruto, huh?" Ino teased Hinata who proceeded to blush furiously, answering Ino's question.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," Ino winked, "And if I do I'll be sure to use big words so he won't catch on." Ino laughed at her own joke and Hinata just stayed beet red.

Ino rolled her eyes and grabbed a tennis ratchet. "So, ready for me to kick your ass?" Ino grinned.

Much to Ino's surprise Hinata was pretty good at tennis, once she came out of her shell. They both casually played back and forth, trying, but not particularly too hard. But hard enough for Ino to have to wipe sweat off her brow. Ino huffed and stopped serving the ball.

Hinata looked over to her, "Are you okay?"

Ino gave her a reassuring smile, "Just need a little break." She slumped down against the chain link fence and Hinata sat down next to her.

Ino smiled at her and felt bad that she couldn't keep up with Hinata, but the pale eyed girl didn't seem to mind. She was about to start a conversation, but something, or rather someone, rather stupid and useless, caught her eye. There was Kiba, getting boosted up by Shino over the fence. Ino rolled her eyes, but then she noticed a tuff of hair the resembled a pineapple.

"Shikamaru!" She yelled at him standing up and startling Hinata.

Shikamaru cursed under his breath and try his best to muster up an innocent face, "Ino…"

Ino glared at him from across the fence, "What did I tell you about skipping class?! You'll just get yourself in trouble!"

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose and stepped back making room for Kiba to jump down.

"Ah, Ino, you're voice is so annoying," Kiba complained, cleaning out his ear with his pinky.

Ino sneered, "Oh shut up, dog shit! At least you two had the decency to not drag Choji into all this."

"Hey Kiba! Naruto and I pulled up your van." An all too familiar voice called out from the bushes and Ino noticed Shikamaru making a cutting motion over his throat. But Ino already caught on, and they were both dead.

"Oh my fucking god! Do you two listen to anything I say?! There's a reason we have class okay!" Choji was already standing near the fence looking shameful, Shikamaru looked apathetic as always, Kiba looked irritated, and Naruto, Naruto was still cowering in the bushes.

"Oh screw you blondie, you know all we do in classes is sit there and pretend to be interested in things that we will never actually use in life." Kiba spat out at her.

Ino smirked, "Yeah, of course you won't need it Kiba. I mean, you're going to be flipping burgers, right?"

Kiba made a face. "Come one. Do you really want to stay here?" He asked.

Ino looked over to Gai yelling at kids about the burning flames of youth. The kids just stared at him, in shock.

Ino gagged. "Okay, fine, screw it."

Shikamaru and Choji grinned. Naruto came out from hiding in the bushes.

Ino looked over to Hinata, "Hey, come with us."

The Hyuga girl's eyes widened, "Wh-what?"

Ino smiled softly, "Gai-sensei won't notice, promise. Well just hang out on campus, kay."

Ino glared over at the group of boys, who all nodded at what she said.

Hinata looked over to Ino and then Naruto, and blushed. Ino almost laughed, but held it in with a small smile.

"Okay," Hinata nodded looking at her feet.

"I can't believe I'm listening to you idiots," Ino groaned as she and Hinata climbed the fence.

"Then we're obviously not idiots, if you are listening to us." Naruto argued, as Ino sat on the edge of the fence.

She smiled at him and jumped down, "No you're still idiots. I'm just not a fan of common sense today." Hinata climbed down the fence and looked nervously towards Ino.

Ino glanced over to her, "Hinata relax, you're about to experience how you teenage years should be."

Hinata's eyes widen in confusion and the rest of the group smiled at her with knowing smiles. Ino smirked, looking out at the school ground. She forgot how fun breaking the rules could be, especially when they have a rule breaking virgin.

XXX

"So then it was me, Sasuke, Sakura, and this cat named Toru or Tora, or some shit," Naruto slurred, retelling the fateful story of how he managed to get lost in the middle of nowhere back in junior high and ended up saving a rich woman's cat.

Ino laughed harder than she probably would have normally. She thought in the back of her mind that she smoked too much, but brushed the thought away as she took another hit from the joint Kiba handed to her. The group of them all ended up meeting Sasuke on the roof of the school and Kiba had brought a few illegal delicacies, which at the sight of Hinata almost fainted.

"And this cat was the devil," Naruto continued with another round of laughter, "No, no I swear. This thing hated me, but not as much as it hated Sasuke."

Everyone laughed at the thought of the cat attacking the two boys. Sasuke scowled, and Ino smiled at him from across the circle they all sat in on a few storage boxes and the ledge of the roof.

"But Sakura was determined to save this damn cat, I personally wanted to chuck it over a cliff." Naruto snorted and Kiba nodded at the thought.

"We ended up finding its owner's number on its collar," Naruto looked over to his right at Sasuke to check his story. Sasuke just shrugged, too busy chain smoking with Shikamaru to pay attention.

"And this lady, she was batshit insane. I then I understood why this cat hated people." Naruto laughed and the rest of the group joined him. He looked over to Hinata and she just blushed at his slight attention.

Ino leaned over to Choji, "Do you think he'll ever get the hint?"

Choji chuckled, "Not as long as she's too scared to really drop a hint."

Ino nodded, "I bet I could set them up." She took another hit from the joint.

"No, Ino you're terrible at setting people up," Choji informed her, and she just waved her hand at him.

"Please," she drawled, "It'd be easy. Hinata's completely in love with him and Naruto will fuck anything that moves."

Ino glanced over to the two of them, where Naruto was telling Hinata about detention in junior high and she was listening intently. Ino rolled her eyes. It'd be so easy to set them up. Then someone else caught her eye. She glanced over subtly and she saw Sasuke smirking at her. She smiled brazenly back, she knew that look.

She stood up, "I'm hungry."

Choji looked surprised, "Um, I have some chips if you want some."

Ino grinned, "Not that kind of hunger." She saw Choji look over to Sasuke getting up and butting out his cigarette and Choji connected the dots.

"Aw, gross Ino!" Choji gagged.

Ino laughed at him and walked, okay so sort of stumbled, over to Sasuke. They ran down the stairwell ignoring the other's protests. Before they even reached the bottom Sasuke pushed his lip up against hers.

She pushed back with more force and he pushed her against the brick wall. She felt the hard surface grind against her shoulder blade and half moaned in protest. His cold hand brushed along her stomach and her abdomen clenched at his touch. Sasuke lifted his head away, but still pressed against her, and she was about to object when he grabbed her wrist and dragged her along the wall.

The knob of the janitor closet jabbed harshly into her back as they reached their destination. Sasuke's mouth sauntered down her neck, and she shoved him harshly away.

"Don't even fucking think about it," she snarled with a pointed glare, "Ibiki will kill me if I have as much as a slight bruise that was not from ballet, and last time you nearly left bite marks."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and forced the door open with a kick, ignoring the knob. She realized that her back was going to be covered with marks when she glanced around the small room that had shelves against every wall. Her thoughts were interrupted by Sasuke's lips slamming against her own as he threw her against one of the shelves. They began tearing at each other's clothes. She threw his jacket to the floor and into a mop bucket.

"Fucking bitch," he cursed and wrenched her shorts down, underwear and all. She kicked them off, her thong catching on her ankles. As she reached down to get them off, Sasuke shoved two fingers inside her. She let out a small scream and several "fucks" before digging her nails into his shoulders. Sasuke slipped her shirt and bra off, dropping the bra into the bucket with his jacket and a pointed look.

"You assh-" she began to yell when his hot mouth descended upon her right breast as the left was taken care of by his free hand. She dug deeper into his shoulders, even with his shirt in the way, and bit her tongue as her slipped another finger in. Enraged, Ino ripped his shirt off, distracting Sasuke and earning herself an annoyed look.

Sasuke slipped his fingers out of her and wiped them on the half of her bra not in the bucket. Ino glowered, but he ignored her and lazily went for the buckle of his pants. While Sasuke removed his pants and boxers, then slipped on a condom, Ino busied herself by grabbing a bottle of the shelf behind her and absentmindedly studied it, suddenly bored. If not for the jarring of her body against the shelf once more, and the slight pain upon entry, Ino would have not have noticed Sasuke at all. She sighed lethargically as he began to move back and forth, finishing her reading of the bottle's writings. Hmm, this brand was cheap, but good enough for the school, better then what her mother used at home. She made a mental note to tell her mother about it, and then tried to focus on the fact that she was having sex.

Ino could think back to a time when she thought about their little escapades being romantic. Secretly going off to places and having sex in more places than Ino could count on both of her hands. She then began to realize how no matter how often they changed the location that it was the same thing every time: Sasuke ever so impassionate and Ino learning to give out a few moans at the right times. It wasn't as if she disliked sleeping with Sasuke, she had actually convinced herself just a few minutes ago that she wanted to. Because he did make her feel good, and vice versa. And she was okay with their, not so public, relationship. She accepted the fact that Sasuke wasn't the kind of boy that was going to hold her hand or take her out to dinner.

But Ino realized, as Sasuke pounded into her against a shelf of cleaning supplies and she was more interested in reading the ingredients of a window cleaner than him, that something had to change. Or that this, whatever it is they had, had to stop. Ino wanted to say she came to this realization because she had matured and thought this through, but really it was because of Karin. And her stupid, ugly smug face. It was because Ino needed to know if she meant any to Sasuke.

"Have you ever lied to me?" Ino asked him bluntly.

Ino raised her eyebrows, why did she just ask that?

Fucking hell.

Sasuke stiffened, and looked down at her incredulously. He looked so incredibly perturbed she could practically read his thoughts, it is as if he was saying _'Really? Now?'_.

Ino nodded at him silently, not trusting her voice. Sasuke sighed and moved back to the other side of the small closet awkwardly, zipping up his pants. Ino, on the other side, slipped up her panties from her ankles and pretended to be extremely interested in looking at the mop bucket to her right.

"Why are you asking this? _Now?_" Sasuke ground out, breaking the silence.

Ino squeezed her fist. Now or never. "Because I need to know now." She looked up at him only for him to be looking away.

"Have you?" She asked softly.

"I'm sure I have before." He answered vaguely, but truthfully.

"About something really important?" Ino started again, but this time with an edge in her voice.

"It depended what you define as important." Sasuke retorted.

Ino scoffed, and suddenly the small janitor's closet felt way too cramped and hot. She needed to get out. She shoved passed him and walked out to the much cooler hallway.

"What the fuck is going on?" Sasuke scowled, walking out after her.

Ino felt lightheaded, and her shoulders tensed at his words. Why the hell was she fucking up an already delicate situation?

"Have you been fucking Karin behind my back?!" She shouted at him. Oh yeah, because she hated being second fiddle.

Sasuke's already angry face contorted into pure fury, but he said nothing.

"You have! You fucking asshole!" Ino shrieked and looked for something to throw or break, but found nothing in the empty hallway.

"Ino…" He groused with an annoyed 'tsk'.

Ino brought her face in her hands and wasn't sure if she was going to scream or cry. She should have expected this. No she should have known. Known and accepted it. Because Sasuke was just that kind of guy. The kind of guy who did what he wanted. Only because he knew he could get away with it.

Ino's throat tightened and she felt the hot sting of tears, but refused to break. She suddenly felt extremely cold, even though her face was hot from embarrassment. She didn't know how to react. She didn't want him to get away with it, but she knew he wouldn't stop sleeping around. He was best friends with Naruto, the biggest whore in Konoha, for Christ's sake! But Ino could just not stand Sasuke's damn arrogance. She wanted to stomp it out, let him know that she wasn't that kind of girl.

But then again, what kind of girl was she, really?

She stood up on shaky knees, and for a second she felt as if she might actually break. But she straightened her posture, wiped the threatening tears from her eyes, and regained her composure. She had dealt with too many years with her mom to not know how to calm herself.

"Sorry, I'm fine." She said more shakily than she would have liked.

Sasuke nodded, still unsure most likely.

She walked towards the stairwell to the roof. And she heard Sasuke's footsteps follow. And for the rest of that day, they didn't speak again.

XXX

The second Ino got home she rushed towards the shower, ignoring the fact that she had one earlier that morning.

She thought that the warm spray would sooth her, but all it did was melt her frigid self-control. And under the sound the water, Ino broke into a sob. She slid down the tile wall and let the hot water pelt her face. She cried out so loudly she was sure her parents could hear, but that didn't stop her. She whimpered, and she felt the sting of betrayal and hurt, deep inside. She cried and cried until the water ran lukewarm and her hands and feet were pruned.

When she was finally done she slipped into a pair of sweats and tee, and flopped in her bed. She ignored her parents announcing that dinner was ready and later when they told her to unlock her bedroom door. She ignored her mother's angry shrieks and her father's quiet pleas. And eventually the house went quiet. And even though her eyes were sore, and surely red, and she was exhausted and weak, she silently cried again. But this time it was not for Sasuke's betrayal, but for how disgusted she was with herself. How she knew that she would just ignore everything Sasuke had done, and she had no idea why.

She eventually stopped crying, and closed her aching eyes. And she slept.

XXX

Eventually Ino ended up sitting on her roof and watching people walk on their merry ways, going along on their way through the afternoon. It was probably a miss judgment on her part to skip school that day, since she had skipped two classes yesterday. And that everyone now probably knows about her blow up with Sasuke. She frowned at the thought of everyone talking poorly about her. She shivered, and thought about changing into something warmer than the pajamas she had on, but didn't feel like moving. She really didn't feel like do anything.

"Ino."

She looked over to her name being called and she already knew the owner of that voice. She saw Choji and Shikamaru climbing up the side the roof.

She sighed, "What?"

"You weren't at school," Choji started.

Ino rolled her eyes, "I'm aware."

"We were worried," Shikamaru said carefully.

Ino looked over back on the street, "Don't be." She wrapped her arms around her legs and shivered again.

Then she felt the weight of a blanket on her and Choji and Shikamaru flanked both sides on her.

"We can't help it. We're practically family." Choji smiled, "Can't get rid of us, even if you wanted."

Ino smiled to herself, enjoying the comfort of both her boys, "Never."

"So what's wrong?" Shikamaru asked getting to the point.

"I think I broke it off with Sasuke." She stated.

Shikamaru snorted, "You think huh? Well, good he's an asshole." Choji nodded in agreement.

Ino laughed, "So I've heard."

"You're better off without him, you know that." Choji reassured her.

She gave them a bittersweet smile, "I know."

And she sat with them for a little bit longer. Because she knew moments like these were irreplaceable. She also knew, for a fact, she was better off without Sasuke, because he made her worse. But he was her security blanket, he keep her in orbit. And she was afraid of facing him again, about going out of control. But mostly, she was just afraid of the unknown.

But she could feel both Choji's and Shikamaru's shoulders against hers, and she knew as long they were there, she would be a little better, at least for now.

**Thank you so much for reading if you did (which I'm assuming very few people are reading this right now). But hey if I get just one review I'll be stocked (I won't get a review). Okay, let me just crawl in a hole and write more poorly written fanfiction... **

**Next chapter: Hinata **


	3. Hinata

Quixotic

Section one: All That Glitters

Hinata:

Hinata was the kind of girl without much of an opinion about anything, and wasn't one for petty gossip. Not that she voiced her views on that, or rather she didn't voice her views on anything. She was one of those people who simple were an adjuster. She adjusted herself to everyone else. And she often went unnoticed.

She didn't mind, she had made a few friends, although fewer than most, but she still pined to be friends with more people, or maybe just Naruto. But she was content with her life, going to school, coming home, repeat and recycle. She didn't mind blending in with the beige walls of her classroom, it allowed her to listen and keep the information she heard like little secrets for herself. She was anonymous, but it didn't bother her, because that was who she was.

Hinata looked around the classroom, as students chatted animatedly around the class during the passing period, and Hinata picked up little snippets of conversation, one boy made the basketball team, one girl was going on a date with her boyfriend this weekend. Hinata listened half-heartily, until she snapped her head up at the sound Ino name in the tangle of conversations.

"I heard _he_ dumped _her_." A girl revealed to a group of her friends across the classroom from Hinata.

A few girls giggled as they looked out of the wide windows of the second story, "That makes sense too!"

The girl who gave the information grinned, proud that she had their full attention, added, "I also heard he dumped her for some girl named Karin!"

That caused a slight uproar in their small group and a clutter of voices. "Who's that?" "I think they have a class together!" "I know who that is!" "Really?"

Hinata's brows furrowed at their gossip. She may not voice her opinion to the coterie of girls, but she did have one. Ino had been kind to her, and Hinata considered her a friend. Hinata almost felt a coward for not defending Ino, but she was never the kind of girl with even an ounce of confidence.

Unlike Ino, Ino was the kind of girl that was brimming with confidence. She was clever, talented, and the type of person everyone couldn't help but like. Hinata was attracted to people like, strived to be more like them, the people that shined.

But Hinata just didn't understand why a girl like Ino, who seemed so strong, was consumed by petty things like looks and reputation. She seemed like the kind of girl to spit on society's social norms- that a girl should be pretty and thin and weak and controlled by a boyfriend. But rather, Ino was consumed by them. And it was almost literally eating her alive, with this disease she had.

Hinata personally had very little knowledge of eating disorders, probably because they had never even crossed her mind. So after that day that she had skipped class with Ino, and discovered, from Kiba, that Ino didn't eat, she researched it online.

And what she found, she didn't like. Anorexia was a very disturbing and horrific disease. Hinata could barely stomach reading about it, and just about threw her laptop seeing those, awful, awful, pictures. She could not understand why anyone would let themselves wither away like that, to go out and just torture themselves. She honestly wondered why Ino would do that to herself, but was thankful that somehow Ino looked much better than those-god awful, terrible-pictures.

But Hinata knew that Ino was not okay. She had at least broken up with Sasuke, which Hinata didn't like to make judgments but she knew it was safe to assume that he wasn't very good for her. But that doesn't mean that Ino would get better, and Hinata didn't know how to help her. She wanted to protect her, from girls like in her class with their bitter words, from all the drugs and partying, and from herself, because Ino was right on the edge of self destruction. And Hinata knew that it was a long way down.

A few more girls giggled at something one of them said, and moved on to gossip about another student. But they were cut short when Sarutobi-sensei waltzed in. They would have to wait till lunch to trash others' reputations.

Hinata opened her book and tried her best to think about plant cells and not about girls with tight skin pulled over all their ribs.

XXX

"He's a fucking asshole that's why." Ino huffed as she laid down on the cement block she was sitting on.

Hinata sighed as she picked over her bento, not really in the mood for what she packed.

"Then why did you date him in the first place?" Hinata asked meekly. Hinata did not want to get into this conversation, about Ino's dramatic relationship with the infamous Uchiha Sasuke. But it seems like every time Hinata tries to talk about anything else; his name gets dragged back into the conversation. So she might as well let Ino get it out of her system.

Ino sighed, and squinted at the sun in her eyes. So she sat up and looked around the school courtyard, "I don't know. I had a crush on him when I was little, well, me and everyone else at the time."

Ino and Hinata both laughed lightly at the memory of dozens of girls swarming the young Uchiha.

Hinata looked over to the pretty blonde who was wearing a nostalgic look on her face. "Did you ever really love him?" Hinata then flushed at the fact that she asked Ino such a personal question.

But Ino just let out a laugh that sounded like wind chimes. "Probably not." Ino gave Hinata one of those secret smiles that made her feel like she was receiving some of Ino's beautiful glow.

Hinata smiled, but still felt an ache in her chest, because she knew Ino was broken, yet she could still smile those heartbreaking smiles.

"Do you want some of my lunch?" Hinata asked offering up her practically uneaten bento.

"No thanks," Ino waved off the food.

Hinata looked down suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "You really should," she practically whispered as she put her lunch back in her bag.

Ino's relaxed demeanor shifted into something colder, it was as if her usual sunny radiance was sucked back into her. "Hinata, please don't be another one of those. I don't need one of those."

Ino's face filled with hurt that Hinata didn't know she contained. Hinata got a glimpse at a piece of Ino that is often hidden away.

"I need someone else," Ino pleaded with her.

And Hinata was always a pushover.

"Okay," she said, and she knew that it was a promise. Ino grabbed her hand and they both got up and started walking.

Ino didn't tell her where they were going, and Hinata didn't ask, because now she was someone else.

XXX

Hinata waited for her sister outside.

She looked at the middle school building that was identical to her own high school. She looked back at the black car next to her, and although she couldn't see through the tinted window, she knew her driver was looking at her impatiently, which she didn't really know why, since he does get paid by the hour. But Hinata was getting impatient for her sister to come outside, since her father despised unpunctuality.

But then she saw the top of her sister's smooth brown hair, and sighed with relief.

"Where were you?" Hinata asked as her sister made a b-line for the car.

"At school," Hanabi huffed as she slid into the passenger seat.

"But what were you doing there that long?" Hinata pried, knowing she sounded like a worried mother.

But Hanabi didn't answer; she just sat in her seat looking out the window. And Hinata really didn't expect an answer, Hanabi was a girl a very few words. She was, like Hinata, the quiet type. But unlike Hinata, Hanabi wasn't shy, quite the opposite actually. Due to a very mean nanny during her childhood, Hinata became a very shy and meek child, and Hanabi simply learned from Hinata that silence was golden when working with that nanny. So Hinata developed her personality from a physiologically abusive nanny and Hanabi developed hers by being lucky enough to have an older sibling to learn from.

So to say the rest of the ride home was quiet, would be the biggest of understatements.

But when they did finally come home, Hinata realized that she wouldn't be staying there long. Because immediately after exiting the car she felt the buzz of her phone. Hanabi rushed past her into the house, as Hinata checked her phone.

She wasn't very surprised that it was a message from Ino, since they had become friends recently.

"_Come over so that we can get ready for Sasuke's party together." _

Hinata blinked at the message, still surprised by Ino's confidence and brashness. She remembered Ino, and practically everyone else at the school, chattering about Sasuke's party, and, according to Kiba, about how "legendary" they are. Hinata had heard about this party all week but didn't really think that she was even invited, since she had never been before. Or maybe everyone was invited. By the way these parties are talked about it seemed as if you heard about it you went to it. But Hinata didn't really know how these sorts of things worked.

Hinata slipped off her shoes and padded into her bedroom with her phone still in hand. She threw her book bag on her bed and sat down staring at Ino's message. She did know what this party would probably entail. She had already experience the world of drugs, well she had seen people do drugs, but that was pretty traumatizing. So she could only assume that there would be drinking and drug use. But that didn't mean she had to, right?

But then a though crossed her mind. This party was at Sasuke's, and she would bet her left foot that Naruto, Sasuke's best friend and well known party fanatic, would be present. She then was grinning like an idiot. Of course she would go to protect Ino and make friends, but really, if she was being honest, those were just cover ups for the fact that all she wanted to do was see Naruto.

She immediately text Ino back.

"_I'll be there." _

She smiled to herself as she open up her closet for something to wear. Then frowned, since it seemed she hadn't really thought about wearing things to parties ever in her life. All she had in her closet was her uniforms, sweatshirts, jeans, and a couple formal dresses collecting dust in the back. Since she knew she was just wasting time staring at her closet, she grabbed an okay looking blouse and her most stylish looking jeans.

After putting on her probably inappropriate outfit, she put a few things she might need in her bag and walked over to her sister's room. She knocked tentatively on her door and then opened it. Hanabi was reading a magazine in a beanbag chair.

"When father gets home will you tell him I'll be sleeping over at Ino's?" Hinata bit her lip, knowing she was a terrible liar.

Hanabi just gave her a skeptical look, "He won't be very happy."

Hinata looked away from her younger sister's gaze, "I know."

"I'll tell him." Hanabi added looking back to her magazine.

Hinata nodded and started to leave the room.

"You deserve a little rebellion, you know." Hanabi mentioned, smiling into her magazine. Hinata smiled back, because she did know.

XXX

"That's what you're wearing?" Ino questioned immediately after she opened her door.

Hinata blinked, "Yes?"

Ino gave a dramatic sigh. "Well, welcome to my humble abode."

Hinata walked into the flat and looked around, "Are your parents home?"

Ino walked further into her home, "My father's home, but my mom's just downstairs."

Hinata nodded, remembering that Ino's family owned the flower shop downstairs.

They walked down the hall and Hinata noticed a blonde man sitting on a coach watching the news.

"Hey papa, this is Hinata." Ino announced to her father.

He father smiled, and Hinata realized that they both have the same eyes.

"You both going to that party?" He asked half paying attention.

"Yep," Ino chirped as she started lead Hinata further down the hall, when Ino's father's voice stopped them.

"When will you be home?" He asked casually.

"Don't know," Ino hummed and dragged Hinata into her room. Hinata was still in shock from the relaxed manner both Ino and her father have with each other, something that Hinata couldn't even possibly imagine in her house.

Ino smiled and turned to Hinata, "Well, this is it. So makeup time!"

Hinata gave Ino more of a grimace than a smile, and Ino pouted.

"Don't worry, Sakura and I used to give each other makeovers all the time, I've had plenty of practice." Ino said as she pulled out her assorted makeup items, and Hinata wondered how much makeup did one girl need.

Ino reached over and moved Hinata's bangs out of her face, "You're really pretty you know."

Hinata felt embarrassed at Ino's comment, especially coming from a girl like Ino.

Ino started to work on Hinata's face. She brushed over foundation and covered her eyes in dark eye shadow. Ino was quiet, with concentration on her face. She only occasionally spoke telling Hinata to "turn to the side" or "look up". She finalized the look with putting a gloss on Hinata's lips.

"Okay look," Ino said pointing to the mirror in her room. Hinata walked over the mirror above the dresser and stared at herself. It wasn't as if it was some miraculous transformation, but Hinata wasn't a makeup wearer, so it was different. Hinata stared because, she felt like another person. And she wasn't sure if it was the layers of product on her face or the sense of rebellion rushing through her veins, but she knew she looked like someone else.

"So what do you think?" Ino asked looking at her through their reflections.

"It's nice," Hinata smiled.

"You really are pretty," Ino sighed, almost sounding jealous, but Hinata thought that was ridiculous.

"Not as pretty as you," She murmured.

Ino huffed, "Yeah, right."

Hinata turned to Ino, "No really, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever known." She looked at Ino with the most sincerity she could muster. Ino just looked confused.

Then Ino looked away, "Well, time to do my makeup. And really we have to find you something much cuter to wear. This is your first party after all."

Hinata watched Ino as she applied cream foundation over her already flawless skin.

XXX

Hinata did not like public transportation.

Since Ino didn't own a car, like most teenagers, and her dad, although frightening relaxed about them going to a party, he made no inclination to drive them. And Ino of course expected that, so they took the train.

And Hinata was not comfortable with this notion when it was suggested, and she definitely was not comfortable with it when she was on the large vehicle. The train was not only dirty, with trash under the seats and graffiti scratched into the window pane, but it was filled with strange and unfortunately smelly people. And not that they were necessarily bad; well they were creepy, just smelly.

And they had to go all the way from midtown to uptown in this train. With smelly people. And it wasn't like she was spoiled, she did have a driver that took her everywhere and all, but that wasn't it. She wasn't opposed to public transportation, she just wasn't quite acclimated, that's all.

She gave Ino a worried glance, and she guess it must have looked a lot more horrified than she wanted it to be, because Ino just snorted and looked away.

So Hinata just sat there quietly, making herself as small as possible and tried not to touch the ground or breathe the train car's air. Ino, on the other hand, appeared quite relaxed, but Hinata guessed that came with practice.

"Calm down will you, we're almost there." Ino chided her.

Hinata looked outside and realized that Ino was right, they were in uptown Konoha.

Hinata followed Ino off the train and jumped as quickly as possible on the platform taking a deep breath.

Ino smiled at her, "Ready to party?"

Hinata looked at the excitement on Ino's face and her stomach dropped.

But before Hinata could freak out completely, Ino grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. They only had to walk a few block, even though it was up the biggest hill Hinata has ever seen in her life. And not only did they have to walk up the giant hill, but Sasuke didn't bothering opening his gate, so anyone who was driving were also forced to walk up the hill.

Hinata thought it was inconsiderate. Ino said it was being an 'asshead', whatever that was supposed to mean.

They eventually reached the top, and Hinata realized that the sun had just set, and there were still touches of light reflecting pink and orange in the clouds. Hinata glance up at the big looming house that was the Uchiha residence and wondered how far back the mansion went until it reached the pool house the size of a small apartment.

Ino rang the door bell and Hinata heard the distant chime. A few seconds passed till Hinata heard someone making their way to the door. She shifted in place wondering how Ino can be so confident in going to her very recent ex's house.

The door swung open revealing a confused looking Sasuke.

His baffled look was quickly replaced with his typically emotionless expression, "You're early."

Ino ignored his statement and waltzed past him into the house. Hinata stood there for a moment looking up at the ever intimidating Sasuke. She snapped her glance away from him and quickly shuffled after Ino through the grand foyer of the home and into a side room in the back of the house that she could only assume was a very unused looking family room.

Sasuke sighed behind her, "You're like an hour early."

Sasuke stared down at Ino, who was making herself rather comfortable on his couch, with her feet up on his coffee table and everything. Hinata shifted awkward on the carpet and felt the desperate need to take off her shoes in a home, even though Sasuke didn't even bother to remove his footwear.

She then noticed Kiba behind Ino on the couch, organizing things she couldn't quite recognize on the coffee table. He looked up as if he knew she was looking at him, "Huh? Hinata? You're here? Wow, who knew."

Hinata dashed as fast as she could without looking desperate to sit next to Kiba and not be caught between the awkward match between Ino and Sasuke.

"So Hinata, what brings you here?" Kiba asked casually, mostly focused on what he was doing on the table.

"Ino asked me to come with her." Hinata answered as simply as possible. Because really it wasn't so much as 'asked' as it was 'told', and it was more 'forcibly dragged here' rather than 'come with'. But Kiba didn't need to know that.

"He, so I guess you're one of us now." Kiba said, and Hinata smiled.

"Well almost," Kiba added and Hinata quirked her eyebrows up.

Kiba seemed to understand her silent confusion, "You see you haven't even let a drop of alcohol pass your virgin lips, while the rest of us, quite frankly, are complete crackpots."

Hinata just gave him an incredulous look, so he continued, "Take Naruto for instance, he's probably an alcoholic."

"And drug addict." Ino chimed in nonchalantly, as she surfed channels on Sasuke's giant television set.

"And sex addict," Kiba rounded off, "And you couldn't rip a bottle of prescription pills from Ino grasp. And I haven't seen five minutes go by without Sasuke taking a drag."

Sasuke made a grunt that sounded like 'hn', and Hinata noticed that he was in fact smoking a cigarette.

"And you?" She asked looking back towards Kiba.

"I'm a drug dealer who can't stop using his own merchandise." He grinned, as if it was something to be proud of.

Hinata smiled skeptically, "So I have to be a total mess?"

"Basically," Kiba shrugged.

The door bell rang, and Hinata whipped her head in that direction. Shikamaru and Choji waltzed in, and Sasuke murmured about how they were early.

Ino then disappeared with Shikamaru and Choji somewhere. Hinata sat there unsure whether or not she should follow Ino or play it safe and stay where she was. She went with the latter.

She watched some celebrity news show that Ino was watched, and occasionally glaced at Kiba organizing pills and Sasuke chain smoking. She wondered what kind of world she walked into.

The door opened up unexpectedly, revealing Shino, who apparently had no problem walking into other people's homes. He sat down in a chair without a word and soon Sasuke left the room. This left Hinata with Kiba and Shino, who were organizing drugs on the coffee table. Hinata could have left to go find Ino, but she wanted to watch the door and be there when Naruto arrived, whenever that would be.

Hinata looked around awkwardly and then stared at all the pills and little baggies on the table.

"So," she started, "what are all these?"

"None of your business," Shino stated flatly.

"Hey Shino never ignore a customer! Sorry about my assistant there," Kiba apologized and Shino just gave him a dirty look.

"Oh I don't think-" Hinata started but Kiba interrupted her, "Nonsense, so what do you want to know?"

"Uh, just what they do. And maybe what should I, um, do, or have, er. " Hinata mumbled feeling uncomfortable as she looked at the drugs on the table.

"Well, first off, I don't think we should really start with these. Try what every curious thirteen year old does and take a beer from the fridge." Kiba turned away from her.

Hinata frowned at his answer, "What does Naruto take?"

Kiba burst out laugh and even Shino snorted a bit. "Nothing you are, or probably will ever be, prepared for," Kiba shook his head at the thought.

"Why not?" Hinata challenged finding courage in her voice.

Kiba stopped his work and looked at her, "We're all crackpots right? Hinata you could never even come close to how messed up we all are."

"So what? If I'm not messed up like you guys I can't be with you guys, _or him_?" Hinata asked starting confident but whispering at the end.

"Hinata don't try with him, you'll just end up hurting yourself."

"Why? Because of the sex, the drugs, the drinking?" Hinata felt sick as she asked Kiba.

"Those should be reason enough, but that's not it. You didn't really see it like I did, but it's his codependency."

Hinata stared at Kiba in confusion.

"He is so incredibly codependent on Sasuke and Sakura that if you tried to be with him, for real, that you would just end up in a mess you _do not _want to be in."

"What do you mean?"

"That group, they way the depend, no, need each other constantly, it's unsettling. You could never be them for him. You can't be his Sasuke. You can't be his Sakura."

"She's not here." Hinata whispered clinging on the hope that she can still have him.

"Which makes him particularly vulnerable!" Kiba snapped stopping his work.

"Hinata, she will come back, and if you were involved with him when she got back you'd be ripped alive. And the sad thing is, they wouldn't even know they were hurting you."

Hinata slumped into the couch, halfway wishing she had never fallen for Uzumaki Naruto in the first place, and the half of her wanting him even more.

"Kiba," She murmur and he looked over to her, "I want, um, well I want to…I want to get fucked up." She blushed at the fact that not only did she swear, she was asking for drugs.

Kiba sighed, not willing to turn down a customer, "Shino." Shino grabbed a baggie and passed it over to Kiba.

"Here, real low dose stuff. On the house," Shino stated and then went back to his work.

Hinata was shocked at the freebie, but just muttered out a thank you and took the bag from Kiba.

She glanced at the pills in the plastic bag. If someone had told her a week ago that she was going to be in Uchiha Sasuke's house about to take drugs, she would have never believe it.

She opened the bag and shook the three pills in her hand. She knew she should have asked what they were. She knew that she should have just started with a drink. She knew she should have never started this at all. But she just tossed the pills back, dry and felt them slide down her throat. She felt Kiba and Shino's eyes on her and she heard a group talking in another room. Some other people must have arrived through the kitchen door.

But she ignored all of it and the only thing she was thinking was, 'I can be a crackpot too'.

XXX

She felt like her head was going to explode.

The music was so loud it reverberated through her whole body. She was trembling and throbbing. A hand would occasionally brush her arm or face, or someone's body would get pressed closer to hers, but beside that she was alone in an endless space. She felt like she was ice cold fire, burning up in the neon glowing darkness. He hands glowed with greens and purples from glow paint, and she knew it was probably all over Ino's dress and streaked through her hair.

Hinata's feet ached from dancing, which surprised her since she always hated dancing. But she didn't want to stop. Everything was spinning fast, she was teetering on the edge and if felt like freedom. She loved the burning in the pit of her stomach and rattle of her heart against her chest. She felt breathless, alive. Then a hand pulled her down and she met coal rimmed blue eyes.

"Hinata, what the hell?!" She heard Ino screech over the bass of the music.

Hinata blinked at her as they stood like islands in the sea of people.

Ino just laughed and placed her face in Hinata shoulder, Hinata shivered as Ino's hot breath dance over her collar bone.

"We need to get you laid." Ino giggled, as she glided through the crowd holding Hinata's hand. She coaxed Hinata to follow her up the stairs, but not before Hinata took a swig from a bottle she spotted. How many sips was that? Two? Five? She lost track. She giggled to herself. Who's the virgin now, Kiba?

She and Ino eventually made it to a room that looked like an office. She noticed it that it was a smaller version of the party downstairs, except somehow less innocent.

Shino and faceless guy were snorting lines of something on an end table, Sasuke and some redhead were more than kissing on a desk, Kiba was passing a baggie to a group of people and pocketing their money, and in the middle of the room was a group of people dancing. And in the center of it all Hinata saw him, the boy with the golden hair and shining cerulean eyes. Naruto turned in the crowd grinning towards both her and Ino. He lit up like a candle and stumbled his way over towards them.

"What? There's glow paint?" Naruto laughed exuberantly as he rubbed off the pink paint on Ino's shoulder.

"Apparently," Ino smiled with the green paint on her cheeks glowing.

Then Naruto directed his attention to Hinata, and she could hear her heart whooshing in her ears.

"Hinata? Didn't think you'd come!" He then proceeded to laugh as if it was the funniest thing in the world. And Hinata joined in, because she couldn't help it.

"Come on, let's dance!" Naruto shouted suddenly turning back to the dance floor. Hinata felt too sluggish to dance, but followed after Naruto regardless. And Hinata was immediately surrounded by a throng of bodies. Ino and Naruto got into the rhythm without a second thought, grinding and swaying their bodies against the others, but Hinata felt lost, and tired. Naruto passed a joint around to both her and Ino. Ino took a hit without a second thought, as did Naruto. Hinata furrowed her eyebrows and paused for just a second. But she told Ino that she would be someone else, she told herself she could be a mess. She put the joint in between her lips and inhaled. She coughed violently and, passed the joint back. The three of them passed the joint back and forth until Hinata didn't cough anymore.

Hinata accepted the bodies pressed against ever inch of her and felt relaxed by the burning in her lungs. Everything whooshed in and out, and she felt like she really needed to sit down, but she didn't. She knew this drug was different from the last one she took. She felt the gentle nudging of the crowd, along with the pulsing in her brain. She looked over at Ino and Naruto, who were throwing themselves into the music. Naruto pressed his forehead against Ino's and they laughed together. Hinata felt like she was shocked with ice. She pressed closer to Ino and Naruto till her body was touching theirs. Naruto pressed his lips against Ino's neck and when he pulled back his smile was blue. Hinata pressed closer. Ino's head turned towards Sasuke and the redhead, and her body shifted to the left away from Hinata, as Naruto leaned forward. Hinata was pushed over where Ino was and then Naruto's lips were hard pressed against Hinata's.

Hinata didn't feel shock, or surprise, or even awkward. All she felt was heat and pleasure. Hinata was still wide eyed all the same, and then Naruto's eyes snapped open. He pulled away and tossed his head back in laughter which she could barely hear over the music. He then presses his lips back on to hers, this time with more force, and she returned the favor. The room began to feel hot as the kiss got deeper and Hinata could feel herself being directed away from the room and into another one. But she didn't care. This was Naruto, she loved him. It didn't matter what Kiba, or anyone said, for Naruto it was all worth it.

She felt his hot hands brush against her stomach and she could have sworn she was on fire.

Then her back slammed against the floor and her head snapped up. She had no time to react when Naruto kissed her again, but this time she couldn't breathe. He slid her dress off and it was soon lost in the darkness of the room. She quivered underneath him, but she knew this was no time to get cold feet. He nipped at her neck casually, then her collar bone, and the top of her breast. All his kisses were casual and halfhearted. His lips were on her stomach and she felt as if everything was moving faster than it should. She was just laying there doing nothing, and Naruto was already fumbling with his pants. This was not at all how it was like in the movies.

Hinata breathed in to calm herself. She looked up at Naruto and couldn't help but smile at his face. He was truly beautiful, especially now, laying in the darkness, flushed with want. His hand was gliding on her thigh, slowly now, pulling down. She wanted this. This is what she had been waiting for. She had to want this.

Hinata arched her back and let out a small scream, he was suddenly inside her without warning. Or maybe the warning was when he pulled off her underwear but she didn't bother to notice it. But did she sure as hell notice it now. She had always expected it to be painful, there was no reason it wouldn't be. And it was. But it was still not anything she had anticipated. She felt uncomfortable, even after Naruto had adjusted himself and picked up a sloppy rhythm. Her back pulsed against the floor, giving her a slight carpet burn, and she winced whenever he hit the wrong place. But after a bit the pain it wasn't so bad. But she still felt like something wasn't quite right.

But then Naruto's lip's captured hers, and she knew it was okay, because it was with him. And if she was with anyone else it would have been wrong, but not him. Because no matter how uncomfortable it was, just because it was him, everything was perfect.

Then Hinata felt heat, but not from her. Naruto grunted louder than before and when he let out a gasp she realized what happened. Luckily for her Naruto still managed to remember a condom even in his drugged mind. Naruto slid out of her and rolled to the side. And it was over. He didn't even bother to take off his shoes.

Naruto threw his used condom on the floor for someone else to find and then just lied there, breathing. Hinata turned over to look at him. She stared at him for a bit, and wanted to get closer, but dared not.

And he laughed, as if something hilarious just happened.

"Nothing like fucking on a bedroom floor, ne Hina-chan?" Naruto teased her with the biggest grin he could muster.

Hinata froze up. Her heart sank into her stomach like lead.

"Oh, hey! Let me help you find your dress." He smiled crouching on the floor, fully dress with the exception of pants and underwear, looking for Ino's dirty dress in the dark.

Hinata sat up and felt nauseous. And she didn't want to admit it. Even though it was running through her head as he handed her the dress with the sweetest smile she had ever seen.

It had meant nothing to him. And it was everything to her. She threw on the dress quickly and stood up. She felt even more ill standing up, and looked for the door.

"Hey you okay?" Naruto asked, eyeing her as he put on his underwear. Hinata burst out, not looking back at him. It wasn't even because she was upset, but because she realized she probably was actually sick. She ran down the stairs without any direction, going down the halls. She had no idea where the bathroom was in this unnecessarily large house, so she just ran outside.

She opened the front door and didn't make it any further than that before she vomited in Uchiha Sasuke's doorway. And when she look down she was completely mortified, because covered in her vomit was a pair of shoes, still attached to the person wearing them.

Hinata slowly looked up, already starting to cry from embarrassment, and met eyes with a miserable looking man. He stood there, trying to have the littlest bit of dignity, while he brushed his hand through his unruly silver hair. Hinata was surprised he could stand that long in one place with vomit soaking through his socks.

The man sighed, and she noted the police badge on his coat. "Well, this is what I get for showing up late."

Hinata was suddenly unfrozen and ran off to the side and away from the tall man, too horrified to apologize. She just stood in the sideline in fear she was going to be arrested and read about in the paper the next morning.

The man grunted, "Seems like this party needs to end before I'm completely covered in vomit by the end of the night." And with that he went inside and a chorus of teenage shrieks could be heard. And Hinata just stood there and whipped the bile off her mouth.

She walked out into the grassy lawn, which was covered in garbage, furniture, and teenagers. She sat down, and black spots covered her vision. She was exhausted and humiliated, so she was kind of okay with passing out. So she did.

XXX

Hinata woke up feeling damp and the indentation of grass on her face. If she didn't have such a terrible headache her deductive reasoning would have clued her in to the fact the she passed on a lawn. She sat up and immediately regretting it as her stomach flip and her temples pulsed. The sun flickered in her peripheral and instantly covered her eyes from the blinding sun. She turned over face down into the grass and felt bile rise to her throat. She clenched the sodden grass between her fingers and felt dirt clump up in her finger nails. Her back trembled as she dry heaved into the grass. She kept on heaving until she sat back with her head between her legs, exhausted.

She squinted up at the shinning white house in front of her and was halfway upset that she remembered the previous night and all of its entanglements. She slowly lifted herself up of the lawn and made her way back into the Uchiha manor. The front door was left ajar and when she opened it the home looked less like the glorious mansion she had seen the night before and more like a looted teardown. There were empty cups smashed on the floor and a rainbow of stains, most likely due to all the glow paint. But the mix of colors mostly made a brown spear on the previously white carpet.

Hinata walked through the empty house, maneuvering past all the pushed over furniture. Hinata was walking over a broken coffee table and noticed a photo frame on the floor. She picked it up and noticed that it was cracked in the corner. It was a portrait of the Uchiha family, and Hinata smiled at the younger, and much happier, Sasuke. Glow paint was smeared on the photo in a messy scrawl. Hinata could barely make out the words, but it read 'careful what you wish for' in a bright red. She shook her head as set the photograph down and wandered into the kitchen.

In the kitchen on top of a counter was Sasuke, sitting there cross legged and smoking a cigarette. He didn't notice her at first as he sipping on a mug. But then he noticed her as he butt out his cigarette in the sink.

"I'm surprised that you're not dead." He raised his eyebrows at her as he lighted up another cigarette.

"Okay," She mumbled as she shuffled in the kitchen and took a seat at the counter.

"Coffee?" he asked halfway paying attention to her as he held out a coffee pot.

She shrugged and grabbed a clean looking mug from the sink. He poured the liquid into her cup and went back to ignoring her.

She sipped at the slightly warm liquid and regretted accepting it. She never liked coffee.

XXX  
**Okay so now things are starting to pick up! I swear the plot will start next chapter! I promise! Thanks to all y'all who have made it this far!**

**Next Chapter: Shikamaru**


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